B a b y - L eW

d eaning
lntroducingRealFoodsto Babies
MeganMcNameeMPH,RD. www.FindYourTransition.com

GeneralConcepts:
solidfoods.
6 monthsto introduce
1. Waituntilapproximately
potatoor avocadospears
grip,
sweet
suchas
2. Startwith foodseasyfor babyto
3. Babyfeedsherself parent'sjob isto offera varietyof safe,nutritiousfoods'
BLWis
for manymonths.Forthe firstfew months,
andwillnot decrease
4. Milkfeedscontinue
learning,
andfun.
mainlyaboutexploration,
What is Baby-ledWeanine(BLW)?
- there'sno spoon
solidfoodsthat allowsbabiesto feedthemselves
BLWis a "wayof introducing
. h eb a b ys i t sw i t h t h e f a m i l ya t m e a l t i m eas n dj o i n si n w h e ns h ei s r e a d y ,
f e e d i n ga n dn o p u r e e s T
feedingherselffirstwith her fingersand laterwith silverware."
Baby-ledweaning:
* Allowsbabiesto exploretaste,texture,colorand smell
* E n c o u r a g ei nsd e p e n d e n caen dc o n f i d e n c e
* Helpsto develophand-eyecoordination
* M a k e sp i c k ye a t i n ga n d m e a l t i m eb a t t l e sl e s sl i k e l y

Whotaboutspoan-feeding?
-

S p o o n - f e e d i n gr e c o m m e n d a t i o n so r i g i n a t e dw h e n p a r e n t sw e r e t o l d t o s t a r t f e e d i n ga t 3 - 4
y b l et o f e e d t h e m s e l v e s .
m o n t h s- p r i o r t o t h e m b e i n gd e v e l o p m e n t a l l a

is not necessary,
Nowthat we knowfeedingshouldstartcloserto 6 months,spoon-feeding
g u r e e sa s t h e
a n ds o m eb a b i e se v e nr e f u s ei t . F u r t h e r m o r et h, e r ei s n o r e s e a r c shu p p o r t i n p
and babiescanbecomeveryconfusedwhen
firststepin solidfood introduction,
necessary
they'renot surewhetherto swallowor chew.
givenlumpyfoodsbecause
becauseparentscanspoonin a
canleadto overfeeding
that spoon-feeding
suggests
Research
to
constipation.With BLW,
lead
sheisfull. Thiscanalso
lot of food beforebabyrealizes
b a b i e sg r a d u a l liyn c r e a s seo l i di n t a k e l,o w e r i n gt h e r i s ko f c o n s t i p a t i o n .
Thisdoesn'tmeon thot you "shouldn't"do purees. lf pureesseemto work betterfor your
boby,or if she has developmentalor medicalissuesthot make BLWunsafefor her, thenpurees
may be a smart movefor you. Furthermore,pureescon be givenin a baby-ledway especiolly
onceboby is able to feed herselfwith a spoon. (Think:opplesouce.)

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Wh chooseBLW?
Allowsbabyto moveontosolidsat a
time
appropriate
developmentally
too
withoutcuttingout milkfeedings

at
in mealtimes
to participate
Allowsbabies
to be
a youngageandmakesit easier
wherefood
present
opportunities
for social

early.
hand-eyecoordination,
Develops
chewingskills.
and
dexterity

i s i n v o l v e d s, i n c et h e y c a n j o i n i n t h e f u n .

A l l o w sb a b yt o e a t w h a t a n d a s m u c h a s
s h e w a n t s , e s t a b l i s h i n gh e a l t h y f e e d i n g
d y n a m i c sa n d p o t e n t i a l l ya v o i d i n go b e s i t y
and food issueslater.

E n c o u r a g e sc o n f i d e n c e ,e n j o y m e n t ,a n d a
h e a l t h yl o v e o f f o o d , t a s t e , a r o m a , a n d
t e x t u r e s . M e a l s a r e m o r e r e l a x e da n d f u n .

Helpspreventmealtimebattlesand picky
eatingbecausepressureis removed.

No needto buy pureesor specialfoodscheaperand easierfor everyene.

Babycanlearnby imitation.
or strongfamily
Allowsfor development
b o n d s ,s i n c ef a m i l i e sc a n e a t t o g e t h e r .

of BLW:
Potentialdisadvantage
delays
or developmental
issues
withmedical
for children
o Maybeinappropriate
o lt's messy!
our rateof eating
bea goodthing- slowing
maytakelonger(whichcanultimately
o Mealtimes
too)
mealsin effortto reducemess
mavofferlessbalanced
o Parents
o Haveto be awareof saltcontentof foodandofferingfoodsthat canactuallybeeatento avoid
(thinkspaghetti
with meatsaucebabygettingonlyonefoodgroup,suchascarbohydrates
babymayonlygetthe noodles)
worryaboutchoking
o Parents
what to Expectwith BLW?
- Babvisincluded
and,for the mostpart,eatswhatthefamilyeats
in mealtimes
- Nobodyfeedsthe baby- a few differentfoodsareofferedin piecessheis ableto pickup and
shewillhandlefoodandtakeit to hermouthwhensheisready.Thismaymeanbabyeats
plays,
andlearnshowto eat'
assheexplores,
almostnothingat the beginning
willbeveryimportant
- Babvchooses
howmuch,howfast,andwhetherto eat. Thisconcept
bYnutritionexpertEllyn
in feeding"
of responsibility
laterin lifeandiscoinedthe "division
Satter,RD.
Theporentis responsible
for whot,
ond whether'
much
how
Theinfont is responsible
t'or
Babycontinuesto havemilkfeedingsfrom breastor formulaas often asshewantsandwill
startto reducethem on her own.
is not choking.Babies'gagreflexis
at the beginning.Gagging
Babymaygag,especially
furtherforwardin their mouth,and gaggingis a way for them to protectfrom choking.

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Readiness
Assessing
that mostbabiesarereadyfor food around6 monthsof age Although
suggests
research
Current
startingat the 4-6months(andneverbefore4 months),the WHO,
recommend
somepediatricians
according
to
waitinguntilaround6 months.Furthermore,
andMFP recommend
MP, UNICEF,
mark.
to delaysolidsuntilaroundthe 5 month
therearemanyreasons
Kellymom.com
!. Betterprotectionfrom illness.
andstomachacidarenot
enzymes
trdcttimeto moture.Certaindigestive
thedigestive
2. Attows
solidsbeforethencanleadto digestive
readvuntilaroundthe 6 monthmark,andintroducing
upset,8asandconstiPation
ollergies.Gutdoesn'tusuallymature,or "close,"untilnearthe 6 month
agoinst
3. Protects
the risk
to passintothe bloodstream,increasing
mark.An "opengut" allowsmacronutrients
food
to
to
bring
of
baby
ability
withdevelopmental
alsocoincides
Thisusually
for allergies.
m o u t h ,c h e w ,a n ds w a l l o w '
solids,especially
onemio.lt is theorizedthat introducing
babyfrom iron-deficiency
4 . protects
breast
milk'
from
iron
of
absorption
ones(ricecereal),actuallydecreases
iron-fortified
bobyfrom obesity.Earlyintroductionof solidsis relatedto obesitylater in life'
5 . protects
6 . Hetpsmom mointainmilk supplyand helpsspaceout pregnancies'
7 . Makes startingsolidseasier- boby canfeed herself,ond ollergiesare lesslikely.
y o u rc h i l d
with a l lo f t h e s ec o n s i d e r a t i o ni ts' ,s i m p o r t a ntto r e m e m b etrh a t y o u a st h e p a r e n tk n o w
m a yb e
t
h
e
y
best. W h e nt h e ya r ee x h i b i t i n sgi g n so f r e a d i n e sasn d a r en e a r i n gt h e 6 m o n t hm a r k ,

read for solids.LetyourbabYleadYou!

(ttgrgqglll
Not Signsof Reodiness

Signsof Readiness
-

B a b yc a n s i t o n h e r o w n o r w i t h m i n i m a l
and holdsher head uP
assistance
Baby draws food to her mouth with her
hand

Shereachesand grabsaccuratelY
Babyhasstoppedthrustingtongueout
Babyis interestedin food and
mealtimes*

B a b ys u d d e n l ys t a r t s w a k i n g m o r e
often at night
B a b y d o e s n ' t s l e e pt h r o u g h t h e n i g h t
B a b y s e e m st o w a n t t o n u r s e / f e e d

more
in foodand
Babyis interested
mealtimes*

* Boby moy or may not be interested in food when exhibiting other signs of reodiness. You con choose to stort
(especiaily if baby is 6 months) ond see how she likes it once she con play ond explore. On the reverse side,
you eot. lt is
sometimes younger bobies seem interested in food when they're usually more interested in watching
is
not
and
exhibiting
other
months
6
younger
thon
when
is
much
baby
not necessorityo signof reodiness,especiolly

signs. Bobiesof 4-6 monthsare naturolly curiousin everything it doesn'tnecessorilymean theY'rereodYto eqt.

GettingStarted
coverfor floor/dog
- Equipment:
highchairor Bumbo,bib(orstripdownto diaper),
a "schedule"
or
following
worry
about
- Mealtimes
Don't
in thefirstfew months.
areplaytime
you
have
Include
babyasoftenas
mealsperday.Thistimeisfor exploration.
eating3 square
a meal(aspossible).
- Startwith something
that'seasyfor babyto grabin herhandyet stillbite- sliceof avocado,
stripof boiledsweetpotato,bananacut lengthwise
- Othergreatfirstfoods:
o Cookedbroccoliflorets
andmeatstrips
o Chicken
qf,
".'.t:'
i-].:l.

pumpkin,zucchini)
strips(squash,
vegetable
o Steamed/roasted
(greenbeans,babycorn)
o Wholecookedvegetables
rawcucumber
of bellpepper,
o Strips
o Hardcheesesticks
o WholegrainbreadstriPs
Offerfoodwhenbabyisn'ttoo tired or hungry,andallowbabyto exploreandplaywith the
food. Neverput food in baby'smouthfor her,
Offera varietyof foodsthroughoutthe week,aimingfor differenttastes,textures,andfood
sweetpotato,chicken,
eggs,
groups.(lnthe first 2 weeksof BLW,Hannahhadeatenavocado,
yellow
squash,
kiwi,
chicken
zucchini,
plum,banana,
applesauce,
broccoli,
hummus,
lentils,
grain
pasta,
bread,
salmon,
and
whole
quinoa,
quinoa/amaranth
pasture
cheese,
meatballs,
brownrice.)

Be patient. Baby will eat when she is ready. Avoid coaxing her to eat or persuading her to eat

that sheis full (turningaway,droppingor pushing

morethan shewants. Watchfor signals
around food, fussiness,disinterest).
chewingit, but it will likelyfall out of
Usuallybabiesstartby exploringthe food and potentially
her mouth. Eatingtime canbe just for fun for manydaysor weekswithoutanyfood gettingin
much,
their mouth. Chewingis importantwhenthey start,evenif they'renot swallowing
progress
over the first
becauseit teachesthem to do it effectively.As her chewingcapabilities
few weeks,shewill beginto bring food to the backof her mouth to swallowit.
Offer 1or 2 piecesoffood at a time so baby doesn'tget overwhelmed'

Safety
Someparentsare reallyworried about chokingwith BLW. In reality,babiescan chokejust as easily{if
it
not more)with pureesbecauseparent-ledfeedingbypassesbaby'ssensitivegagreflex. Regardless,
is importantto follow a few safetyguidelines:
or slump. Evenslightlyforwardleaning
1. Sitbabyuprightand don't allowher to leanbackwards
is OK.
popcornor really
2. Do not offerchokinghazardssuchaswholenuts,wholegrapes/cherries,
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

hardfoods suchas chips.

and smallbonesfrom fish. Largebone (poultry,lamb,beef)
Removeskinfrom sausage/meats
can be helpfulfor babyto grab.
Cut bananaslengthwiseand offer cookedcarrot sticksinsteadof coins.
No one feedsbaby- includingother children.
Neverleavebabyalone with food.
Makesurefood is not too hot.
Offer babywater or milk with food to help them washdown stickierfoods like bread,meat
andshellfish.

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. . i 1 t; r a n 5 r t r o n s

GagReflex
Thegagreflexis baby'snaturalprotectivemechanism
when eating.lt is furtherforward in her mouththan an
adult'sand can be very sensitive.When gagging,baby
will retchand look likeshe'svomiting/coughing.This
pushesfood that wasn'tswallowedforwardin the
most
mouthto be spitour or chewed.Fortunately,
gag
gagging.
more
Some
babiesdon'tseemto mind
than others- in the first two weeksof givingsolids,
Hannahgaggedabout5 times.
What about breastfeeding/formulafeeding?
- Breastmilk/formularemainsbaby'smainsourceof nutrition.Intakewill likelynot decrease
untilat least9-10monthsor more'
- Thinkaboutaddingto, not replacingmilk feedings.
Drinks
- Offerwaterin an opencup with eachmeal(shotglassis ideal).
- Shemay playwith the water and will let you knowwhen shewantsto drinkit. We offer
Hannahwoterot theend of eochmeol to makesureshe hqsswallowedoll of herfood.
to drinkingsweetened
- Juiceis not necessary
for babiesand mayget them accustomed
Fruitis a muchbetteroption.
beverages.
Foods to Avoid

Honey(untilage1): honeymay containthe botulismtoxin.

salt:sodiumcantaxingon a baby'ssmallkidneys.Avoidsaltingfoodsgivento baby.
Excess
y o u c a na d ds e a s o n i n gb ,u t i f y o u m u s ta d ds a l ta p p l ya f t e r t a k i n go u t b a b y ' sp o r t i o n .
l n h e r e n t lsya l t yf o o d si n c l u d eh a m / b a c o ns,m o k e ds a l m o np, e p p e r o n si ,a l a m ia, n dc h o r i z o .
cheeseare OK,but don't offerfluidcow'smilk
Cow,smilk (untilage 1):cheeselVogurtlcottage
in the form of a beverage.Smallamountsof milkusedto cooka dishare OK.
chips,popcornhot
whole nuts,wholegrapesor fruit with seeds/stones,
Chokinghazards:
just
watchbabycarefully
raw carrots;nut buttersare OK,
dogs(notcut),whole bananas,
they canstickto roof of mouth.
because
Sugaryfoods:avoidcandy,chocolate,donuts,cake,etc.
Low-futfoods:babiesneeda lot of fat. Avoidfat-freeyogurtor low-fatcheese.
Veryhighfiber foods:avoidcerealslikeFiberOneor wheatgermasthey canupsetbaby's
digestivetract.
Rawdairy,raw shellfish,undercookedmeats,or other food borne illnesshazards
Carbonatedbeverages:avoidsoda,seltzer,sodawater,etc.
t i l k / f o r m u l a n ds m a l la m o u n t so f w a t e ra r e
l m o u n t so f j u i c ea r eO K ,b u t b r e a s m
J u i c es: m a l a
the only beveragebabiesneed. Wholefruitsare muchbetterthan juiceand are lowerin
fruit sugar.
concentrated
Caffeine
"e4
lii.:

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Allergies
new foods BLW
Tradiiionalfeedingphilosophiesrecommendwaiting3-4 daysbetweenintroducing

lf babydoesexhibit
thatthiswaittimeisnotnecessary.
butsuggests
for allergies
watching
advocates
moreslowlyto identifyanissue.
stopsolidsandreintroduce
or intolerance,
anallergy
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til"

**lf you havefood allergies

in yourfamily,you maywant to
foodsand
allergenic
proceedwith morecautionwhen introducing
include
foods
Allergenic
foods.
new
between
few
wait a
days
cow'smilk,peanuts,tree nuts,eggs,wheat/gluten,soybeans,
nuts,seeds,citrus,tomatoes(andother
non-shellfish,
shellfish,
andstrawberries.
likebellpepperand eggplant),
nightshades

Contraryto old belief,researchnow suggeststhat allergenic

foods shouldbe offeredaround5 months. Introducingallergens
to babiesat thistime reducesthe riskthat baby'ssystemwill
hyper-react.
To reducelikelihoodof allergies:
as longas possible'
- Wait untilabout6 monthsto introducesolidsand breastfeed
- OptimizevitaminD - offer supplementation
to babiesfrom birth and get 10 minutesof sun
skin.
d a i l yo n e x p o s e d
- Takeprobiotics
if nursingand considerofferingthem to baby'

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WhataboutNutrition?
(high
offera balanceof foodseachdaysobabydoesn'tlustget starchandfruit
Tpo*ntto
protein,andfat areimportant.Asbabyhits9-10monthsand
foods);veggies,
carbohydrate
maytakein lessmilk,providinga rangeof foods{evenif shedoesn'teat allof them)is
importantfor diet quality.
andminerals'
vitamins
- Aimfor asmanvcolorsaspossible
different
to maximize
processed
- Whole,realfoodsthat areminimally
arebest'
- chooseorganicfor animal-based
foodsandDirtyDozenproducewhenpossible.Try
andmorefreshfood!
purchasing
fromthe farmers'market- fewerpesticides,
- Thefollowingnutrientsarethe first neededon top of breastmilk:
anddeliveryof oxygen
o !g tmportantfor healthyredbloodcells,braindevelopment,
totissues.Babieswhodon,teatiron-richfoodsmaybecomeanemicbyagel.
r tronsroresin breastfed
babiesstartdepletingslowlyat 6 months Delayed
cordclampingimprovesironstores.Offeringiron-richfoodsis importantwhen
foodslikecereal.
startingsolids,but you don'tneedto haveiron-fortified
wholegrains,fortified
' lron-richfoods:meat,poultry,fish,eggs,potatoes,
peas,kale,chard,beans,lentils'dates'
spinach,
sweetpotatoes,
cereals/grains,
peaches,
tomatoproducts(e g paste)
apricots,
figs,prunes,watermelon,
havebeefwith
' pairiron-richfoodwith foodshighin vitaminC. Forexample,
bellpeppersor beanswith tomatosauce'
o A!!.g:Criticalfor growthanda healthyimmunesystem.Highzincfoodsarealsousually
highin iron.
nuts,crab,chickpeas,
. Zinc-rich
foods:meat,poultry,eggs,wholegraincereals,
beans.
lentils.
offerat leastonefruit or veggieat eachmealgiven.Also,offerat leastone
Asa generalguideline,
chooseonesourceof protein(meat/egg/beans/nut
sourceof iron/zincperday. I personally
optionsat eachmeal.Sometimes
whichis alsohighin iron/zinc,and1-2veggie/fruit
butter/cheese),
I offerwholegrainstoo (maybe1-2of 3 meals).
You may only give babyone food onceor twice a day at the beginning,but as you progressbabywill
havemorevarietyin what sheeats. Forexample,a few weeksinto BLW,a menucouldlooklikethis:
o Breakfust:
. Stripof whole grain/sproutedtoast with almond/peanutbutter and a few

raspberries
andtomato
or hardboiledeggs,avocado
Scrambled

S m a l ls t i c ko f c h e e s e ,n e c t a r i n ea n d c u c u m b e r

Lunch:
I

C h u n k l i g h t t u n a , b e l l p e p p e ra n d p e a c h
L e f t o v e rg r i l l e ds h r i m p , s w e e t p o t a t o w e d g e sa n d s t e a m e d b r o c c o l i
B a k e dc h i c k e ns t r i p , c o o k e d c a r r o t s( n o t c o i n s )a n d h u m m u s

Dinner:
. Salmonwith dill yogurtsauce,roastedbeets,stickybrownrice
' W h o l ew h e a tp a s t as p i r a l w
e a r i n a r as a u c ea n dw h i t eb e a n s
s i t h v e g e t a b lm

redpotatowedges
beefpatty,broccoli,
Grass-fed
{rC

. .l r l l l o n
':*, .. r: ij ,i i :nr u
transitions

Skills
Developmental
to e a t ,a sw e l lasfoodsthat mav
caPacitY
It'simportantto givebabyfoodsshehasthe developmental

pp. 11-131)
.
WeaninCookbook
be a bit beyondherability.(Toblgslgpte! omTheBabv-led
Foodsto Try
EasyFoods
Baby'sAbilities

-Argqnd 6 44qnths
Ready:to"Star-t
See left
Long sti ck-shapedpi ecesof
F
&
V
;
t
o
a
s
t
s
,
i
n
c
l
u
d
i
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food,
l arge pastas,soft meat P atti es,
a l l s h a p e di n t o f i n g e r s . L o n g

Ta ke sto y s t o m out h; c h e w i n g mo v e m e n ts ; s i ts
grabfoods.

stripsof meat.

Reachand

, urithPalmarGrip- Around&8 Months

C a n re a c h f or lar ge pie c e so f fo o d w i th w h o l e h a n d but

n e e d s i t l o n g e n o u g ht o p o k e o u t t h e t o p . M a y h o l d f o o d
i n o n e h a n d a n d g u i d et o m o u t h w i t h o t h e r h a n d . T e n d s
to cru s h s of t f oods . Fo o d fa l l s o u t o f m o u th e a s i l y ,and
s h e d r o p s f o o d o f t e n . S p e n d st i m e e x a m i n i n ga n d p l a y i n g

Longstick-shaped
Piecesof
f o o d ,i n c l u d i n gF & V ;t o a s t s ,
largepastas,soft meat Patties,
a l l s h a p e di n t o f i n g e r s .L o n g
s t r i p so f m e a t .

F o o d st h a t c a nb e
p i c k e du p i n c l u m p s
( s t i c k yr i c e ,c e r e a l s ,
m a s h e dp o t a t o e s ,
g r o u n dm e a t ,g r a t e d
c h e e s e )S
. l i p p e r fyo o d s
l i k ep a s t aw i t h s a u c e .

S t i c ks h a p e sa n d c l u m P Yf o o d s
( s e ea b o v e ) .S m a l l esr o f t
f o o d sl i k es t r a w b e r r i easn d
chunksof cookedveggies.
r &V.
S l i g h t l cy r u n c h i eF

R u n n yf o o d s t o d i p i n t o
( h u m m u s ,y o g u r t ,t h i c k
s o u p s ) .S t i c k so f r a w
v e g g i e sf o r d i p p i n g .
D i fferent shapesof
p a s t a( s p a g h e t t o
i r ziti).

M o s ts t i c ks h a P e sc,l u m P Y
f o o d s ,s o f tf o o d s . C r u n c h i e r
f o o d s( d e p e n d i nogn t e e t h ) .
R u n n i efro o d sw i t h d i P P e r .

L o o s ef o o d sa n d s m a l l
p i e c e s( r i c e ,p e a s ,
r a i s i n sc,r u m b l yb r e a d ) .
S m a l l ecr h u n k sf o r
scooping
w i t h s p o o no r
s t a b b i n gw i t h f o r k .

P r e t t ym u c he v e r Y t h i n g .

F u l lv a r i e t yo f t e x t u r e s
a n ds h a p e s o t h a t s h e
c a nl e a r nt o m a n a g e
with silverware.

Everything.

F u l lv a r i e t yo f s h a p e s
and textures.

w i t h f o o d , a s w e l l a s p a s s i n gh a n d t o h a n d '

andOosins- Around7-9Months
May grabfistfulof food without much squishingand
o p e nh a n da n d p u s hm o s to f i t i n m o u t h . M a y s q u e e z e
food in mouthfrom fist. Will be better at bitingand
chewing.May want to try spoonor stickof food as a
" d i p p e r "f o r r u n n yf o o d ,o r m a y m a n a g ea p r e - l o a d e d
and experimentwith food.
spoon. continuesto examin-e

gglhs
UsingFingers- Around S;1Q-N|
M a y u s ea " d i p p e / 'a n d p i c ku p / h o l dp i e c e so f f o o d w i t h
of what to eat, and in
fingers.Makescarefulselections
w h a t o r d e r . M a y w a n t t o t r y u s i n gs i l v e r w a r ep,o t e n t i a l l y
scoopingfood with spoonor usinga fork to stabwhole
pieces.

- Aroundg-t? Months
C a np i c ku p s m a l lp i e c e so f f o o d w i t h t h u m b a n d
f o r e f i n g e-r g r a i n so f r i c ea n dc r u m b s .M a y stab
with fork and scoopwith spoon. M a y e a t
accurately
purposefully
and playless.
food
more

Silverware- Around,11-14Months
Ma y us e s ilv er war em o s t o f th e ti me , ma k i n g me al ti mes
ve ry slow, P r obablyp re fe rs fo rk o v e r s p o o n b u t m ay al so

l i k eu s i n gf i n g e r s .

to makeBLWeasier:
Se rverunnyf oodson g n o c c hoi r ma s h e dp o ta to e s /sw eet
p o ta toes / par sp/
nic aul i fl o w e r.
h i g hc h a i ra n d l o n gl l e e v eb i b .
Ge t a n eas y - t o- c lean
M a k e s o u p s a n d b r e a k f a s tc e r e a l se x t r a t h i c k .

cel ery,carro t .
Offerdi ppersfor sauce/di ps-breadsti ck,
P r e - l o a da s p o o n t o h e l p w i t h r u n n y f o o d s .

U sea cri nkl ecutterfor sl i pperyfrui ts.

Servecooledsmoothsoupsandyogurtin a cu

Ad d ri c eor s m allpas tato s o u

q,c
,;.:i

nulriilon
tranSrtrons

Typesof Foods
Adaptedfrom TheB a b y - l e dW e a n i n g C o o k b o o k ,p

19-22.

Howto Prepare
Ve g e ta bles

Gre e nb e a n s ,a s p a ra g u ss,n ow peas:tri m

Broccoli,cauliflower:offer as florets(with a "handle")
Potato,sweet potato,squash:sticksor wedgeswith some skin
Oth e rfa rg ev e g e ta b l e sc:u t i n to thi cksti ckshapes(2" x/, - To" \
Veggiescon be steamed, boiled, grilled, roosted,stir-fried, or baked. Should be firm enough to hold but soft
h to munch (not ol dente). Smollveggieslikepeas con be squashedtoqe;thq v/!9n nickgdup.
C u c u m b e r,b e l l p e p p e r:c u t i nto thi ckstri ps
Celery:removecoarsestrings
L e ttu c eo: ffe re di n s tri p so r r ol l ed-upl eaves(babymay not be abl eto eat but w i l l w ant to tr y)
f o m a t o e s : h a l v e d / q u a r t e r e d ;c u t c h e r r y t o m a t o e s i n h a l f

S t ar tw i th s k i n so n s o th e y ' ree a s i e rto grab,evenfor pi neappl eand ki w i . R emovepi ts and w ashtho r oughly.Can
of f er i n h a l v e so r q u a rte rso r l e a v ew h ol e(not smal lpi eces).Try softerfrui tsfi rst,and take a bi teou t t o help
babyg e t g o i n g .
, l o n :cut i n w edges
A v o c a d op, i n e a p p l eme
N e c ta ri n e sa,p ri c o tsc: u t i n h al f
Bl u e b e rri e ss:ma s hs l i g h tl y
Gra p e sc: u t i n h a l f
raspberries:offer whole (removestem from strawberriesto createa hole for babyto stick
Strawberries,

Fruit

t h u m bi n t o )
B a n a n a :c u t i n h a l f / s t r i p s

Rice

Meats

Offer largepiecesthat baby can hold

, g a to ni )may be easi erfor babyto hol dand hol d saucebetter
T w i s tys h a p e s(fu s i l l iri
M a y n o t w a n t to a d d o i l b e causei t makespastasl i ppery
T ry w i th o u t s a u c efi rs t,th e n try sauceon si de,then sauceon pasta
O p t fo r w h o l e g ra i np a s ta
S t i c k yr i c e , s u s h i r i c e , a n d r i s o t t o m a y b e e a s i e r b e c a u s ethey sticktogetherbetter
E v e n t u a l l yb a b y w i l l p i c k u p i n d i v i d u a lg r a i n s a n d / o r p u t on spoon
O ffe ri n l a rg es tri p s ,o n th e b one,or i n patti es
M a k es u reth e m e a t i s v e ry tender(stew edi nsteadof gri l l edor tough)
Ba b yw i l l e v e n tu a l l yg ra d u ateto groundmeat
C h i c k e nt :e a r a l o n gt h e g r a i ns o i t s t a y si n o n e p i e c e c; o n s i d etrh i g hm e a ti n s t e a do f b r e a s ta, n d r e m o v e

bones/gristle
Toastbread;try offeringwhole grainvarieties
, raps)are easi erthan " regul ar"bread
F l a tb re a d s(p i ta ,to rti l l a sw
C u t b re a di n to fi n g e rs h a p e s,stri ps,or smal ltri angl es
Snacks

S n a c k sm a y n o t b e n e c e s s a r yu n t i l a t l e a s t 9 - 1 2 m o n t h s m i l k f e e d s u s u a l l y s e r v e a s s n a c k su n t i l t h e n . T r y t o

foods.
hav eh e a l th yo p ti o n so n th e g o to a voi dbuyi ngprocessed
F ru i ta n d v e g e ta b l es tri Ps
C h e e s ep i e c e s
Stri p so f m e a t o r c h i c k e n
, cecake,toast)
Wh o l eg ra i n s(d ry c e re a l ri

Sources:
The Baby-ledWeoning Cookbookby Gill Rapleyand Tracey Murkett
Weaning Made Eosy by Dr. Rana Conway
w w w . a n a l y t i c a l a r m a d i l l o . cuok.

www.kellymom.com
ning.com
www.babyledwea
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